Zelda finished that last bit of turkey on her plate with a frown, and forced herself to fight back tears of remembering the same thing.

It had been a year. One long year of torture and pain… One long year of remembering her prince being killed right before her eyes by a madman who wanted to rape her.

It was a torture that kept on haunting her for all these years… Every day when she closed her eyes for a second, she recalled that very night. She refused to cry though.

Her father had obviously seen her struggle not to cry. For he sensed her despair for the whole year and it had bothered him long enough.

“Zelda, why don’t you smile anymore?” he asked her simply. She looked at him like he had gone insane.

“I smile,” she lied, to her father and herself.

“I never see you smile anymore,” he replied. “Why is that?”

“May I please be excused,” Zelda said, wanting to get out of the conversation.

“No Zelda, why don’t I ever see you smile,” he said, annoyed.

“I do smile, you just never notice okay?” Zelda replied, irritated. “Now may I please leave?”

“No, lets talk about this,” he said with a frown. Zelda sighed in impatience.

“What is there to talk about?” Zelda said. Her father stood up.

“I’ve waited to see you smile for a year and never once has it happened. You’re never happy anymore. You appear exhausted, crying at night. Is this about Winchel?”

“No! It has nothing to do with Winchel,” Zelda replied, raising her voice. “It has nothing to do with anything, now may I leave?”

“Zelda don’t lie to me,” her father said in a serious tone. “I know you. This has to be about Winchel.”

“Will you quit it? You’re being paranoid!” Zelda shouted. Her father growled in frustration.

“You know I am not being paranoid. You’re sad about Winchel’s death aren’t you?”

“No I’m not!”

“Don’t argue with me. I know you are. I really want to make you happy again Zelda. And I know I can’t be there for you all the time.”

He then snapped his fingers as an idea pooped into his head. “You need some company. A friend… A companion…”

“I don’t need anybody or anything or any help!” Zelda shouted. “Please can we leave it like it is? Nothing you do will help!”

“I’ll send in a couple princes…”

“No! Besides, they’re too stuck up and are only interested in my looks and the fact that I’m a princess.”

“A noble?”

“They’d never like me if I wasn’t a princess.”

“A soldier?”

“Interested only in my looks…”

“A peasant?”

“Not another one to kiss the floor beneath my feet.”

“I know! I’ll get you another servant!” the king replied. “He or she will attend to you’re every need and keep you company while I’m gone.”

“What!” Zelda shouted. “I don’t need a personal servant! I don’t need a slave to command!”

“I’ll send a couple in!”

“Father I don’t need an extra servant!”

“My mind is already made up! They’ll be here tomorrow!”

Zelda made a repressing sound of frustration. She didn’t even bother asking her father to leave and stomped out the door, making sure every heel on her feet slammed the ground and made the largest amount of noise.

When she went up to her room and slammed the door shut, she was so angry with her father that she couldn’t keep cool for an hour. She kept punching her pillow until she relaxed, even though she was still very mad at him.